Increase Crop Yields: Effective Microorganisms

The  concept   of  Effective  Microor­ganisms  (EM) was  developed  by Profes­ sor  Teruo  Higa,  University  of  the Ryukyus,   Okinawa,  Japan.  EM consists of  mixed  cultures  of  beneficial  and naturally-occurring  microorganisms that can  be  applied  as  inoculants  to  increase the   microbial    diversity    of   soils   and plants.  Research has shown that the in­ oculation of EM cultures  to the soil/plant ecosystem can improve soil quality, soil health, and the growth,  yield, and quality of crops.

EM contains selected species of mi­ croorganisms including predominant populations  of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, and smaller numbers of photo­ synthetic    bacteria,    actinomycetes    and other types of organisms.  All of these are mutually compatible   with  one   another and can coexist in liquid culture.

EM is not a substitute for other man­agement practices. It is, however, an added dimension   for  optimizing   our  best  soil and  crop  management   practices  such  as crop   rotations,    use   of  organic   amend­ ments,  conservation tillage,  crop residue recycling, and biocontrol of pests. If used properly, EM can significantly enhance the beneficial  effects of  these  practices.

Throughout  the discussion which fol­ lows, we  will use the term “beneficial mi­ croorganisms”  in a general way  to d esig­ nate a large group  of often unknown or ill­ defined microorganisms that interact fa­ vorably in soils and with plants to render beneficial effects which are sometimes dif­ ficult  to  predict.   We  use  the  term “Effective Microorganisms” or EM to de­ note specific mixed  cultures of known, beneficial  microorganisms   that  are being used effectively as microbial inoculants.